President Trump Says He’s The ‘Toughest’ President Ever Regarding Russia But He’s Not

President Donald Trump has made the bold claim that he’s the “toughest” POTUS ever in regards to dealing with Russian.

In a mind-boggling declaration made on Tuesday, the President said: “Probably nobody’s been tougher on Russia than Donald Trump.”

The President then noted that he expelled 60 Russian diplomats from the United States in March 2018 following a nerve agent attack on British soil.

“We did 60,” Trump said. “There is nobody been tougher on Russia.”

Washington Post reporters, Greg Jaffe, John Hudson and Phillip Rucker covered the story and explained what really happened and why it matters. “The next day, when the expulsions were announced publicly, Trump erupted, officials said. To his shock and dismay, France and Germany were each expelling only four Russian officials — far fewer than the 60 his administration had decided on.”

“The president, who seemed to believe that other individual countries would largely equal the United States, was furious that his administration was being portrayed in the media as taking by far the toughest stance on Russia.”

Trump’s administration has also been undermined by other claimed victories. US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley promised further sanctions against Russia for the recent chemical attack in Syria “You will see that Russian sanctions will be coming down,” Haley promised. “Secretary Mnuchin will be announcing those on Monday, if he hasn’t already.”

When Monday arrived and ended, the Treasury secretary failed to announce any further sanctions against Putin’s leadership. Trump, it appears, wasn’t sure that sanctions were the answer.

The Washington Post story continues: “Trump conferred with his national security advisers later Sunday and told them he was upset the sanctions were being officially rolled out because he was not yet comfortable executing them, according to several people familiar with the plan.”

Here’s Why Trump’s Miscalculated Actions Matter

Essentially, Trump is angry that he expelled so many Russian diplomats because he believed the U.S. would only be as tough as other nations. He was further angered when he realized his UN ambassador made a promise he had no intention of keeping. In the end, the President’s posturing had gone too far without international support.

The Post says Trump is in a “holding pattern” over worries that he will trigger another event in Russia by taking further action.

Despite unanimous agreement among the U.S. Intelligence Community that Russia actively meddled in the 2016 U.S. election, Trump, for all his pandering to his base, has done little to punish the rogue state.

Further, Trump has praised Russia and Putin. “Getting along with Russia is a good thing, not a bad thing,” Trump said last month. “Now maybe we will and maybe we won’t.”

When specifically asked if Putin was a “friend or a foe,” Trump responded: “I’ll let you know. There will be a time when I’ll let you know. You’re going to find out very quickly.” Apparently, one month wasn’t “quickly” enough for the POTUS.